First Phase of Steelwork Installed - Amidst Storms and Flooding

Hopley's have beavered away for the past day or two levelling up to the millimetre and fitting the last of the massive steel components of this phase, necessary to enable really accurate measurements to be taken so that final steels can be welded and galvanised (under way).

The extent and size of the new extension becomes clearer as the angle steels have now been secured to the tower and the existing annex.

Below is the L beam on the block-work wall of the existing annex.  The heavily insulated floor panels will rest on the horizontal flange and the top of the floor is level with the bottom of what was the external door mid way along:

Below, another L beam straddles the original tower entrance window:

The floor beams can be seen against the tower and existing annex in the shot below:

Floor panels and the remaining steels are next on the agenda.

The latest work has been done amidst torrential thunder storms which have caused localised but intense flooding in North Yorkshire.   Our Leeds-Settle-Carlisle railway line is closed because of a landslip between Blea Moor Tunnel and Arten Gill Viaduct at Shale Cutting - a known landslip risk location.   Work has gone on throughout last night, today and tonight in the hope of re-opening the line late tomorrow morning.

Below is a bridge at Grinton pictured by the Cave and Mountain Rescue team:

Pictures below are of the landslip at Shale Cutting, courtesy of Network Rail:

The picture above shows the up (London bound) line covered by the spoil, including large iron girders which had been securing the cutting side.   What has happened is that a culverted stream along the top of the banking has given way sending torrents of water down the slope to the railway lines, cutting a huge valley in just an hour or two - a process that usually takes centuries.

We could have used some of those girders!!